Dany Pérez, a teenager of just 16 years old son of a Cuban woman who died in a traffic accident occurred in Guatemala while traveling to the United States with the minor, he finally arrived in the United States, where he was able to reunite with his aunt.
“The road is hard but if you never give up you can make it, then reach the end”The teenager said through tears in statements to journalist Daniel Benítez for Univision.
For several weeks after the tragedy, the minor continued his progress through Mexico thanks to the help of other Cubans.
On November 21, he arrived at the border and was then detained in a center for minors who arrive illegally in North American territory, where he even fell ill with chickenpox. Dany was processed and received an order to appear before a judge.
“We are sad because we lost my sister, but she left Cuba to bring him, that’s why we decided to continue with him and here he is, and my sister knows from heaven that I am going to take care of him. He is going to be a man in this country like she wanted”said Omayda Cepeda, the teenager’s aunt, in statements to the aforementioned media.
Dany Pérez says she didn’t feel afraid during the journey because she just followed her “instinct.”
“Not afraid because I always said ‘go ahead and let whatever has to happen’ happen. I wasn’t afraid. I just followed my instinct, so to speak”said the teenager, who says he wants to study a trade, although he still doesn’t know which one.
His mother’s body is still in Guatemala, awaiting documentation to be repatriated to Cuba.
Orialys Cepeda was burned to death on the morning of October 12 after a vehicle accident broke out that ended in a fire, while her son suffered several injuries to his face.
It all happened when the van in which the Cuban woman and the minor were traveling overturned and caught fire on a road in the southwest of Guatemala, near the border with Mexico. There were 13 injured and only one deceased, who tragically turned out to be the Cuban mother.
Members of the Volunteer Fire Corps and Red Cross personnel immediately responded and rescued 14 people, including children, but unfortunately the woman had already died.
The newspaper Free Press reported that the Cuban woman’s body was found charred in the cabin of the truck. The migrants, 20 in total, were heading in a pick-up truck to the border with Mexico.
